Focus on Africa, Sierra Leone drops treason charge against ex-president

Focus on Africa

Sierra Leone drops treason charge against ex-president

16 July 2026

Available for over a year

Sierra Leone's government has dropped its charges, including treason, against ex-President Ernest Bai Koroma, who was arrested in connection with an attempted coup nearly three years ago. The charges had been dropped on health grounds, Information Minister Chernor Bah told the BBC. The 72-year-old former president has always denied involvement in the November 2023 attempted coup when gunmen broke into a military armoury and several prisons, freeing almost 2,000 inmates. We hear what this move means for the country's politics.

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Presenter: Nkechi Ogbonna

Producers: Keikantse Shumba and Blessing Aderogba

Senior Producer: Charles Gitonga

Technical Producer: David Nzau

Editors: Rhoda Odhiambo and Maryam Abdalla